Author's Notes: This is my first Avengers fic, so I hope I can do them all justice as I continue writing it. If any of you are familiar with the female character "Rogue" from the comics, I took the idea of her talents and abilities and gave them to the lead female character in this story. With her being a potential love interest of Bucky's, I decided to see what might happen if I played around those abilities and how they might help, or hurt, Bucky. I'm a HUGE fan of the Winter Soldier, as well as Captain America, so they will be major players in this story going forward.

I may be slow to update chapters to this story, as my personal life is crazy at the moment, but I look forward to the challenge of tackling an Avengers fic. I hope you all enjoy it, and thank you for your support!

For the past two weeks, Alexis studied the folders until she had each of the stories within them practically memorized. Each person within the folders had a story; unique and tragic and heroic. She stared at their pictures. She studied their talents. She went through them one by one, giving them each their due attention. And yet, with the knowledge she felt she'd equipped herself with, nothing could prepare her for what waited for her at the Avengers Headquarters.

And so, as she found herself on her way to the Avengers compound - in a limousine provided by Stark Industries - Alexis decided to run through the files one more time. Mostly it was out of nervous energy, as well a strong desire to avoid the limo driver's eyes as he continued to stare at her in the review mirror.

After flipping through the stack one final time, there was only one folder that Alexis continued to avoid reading.

Her own S.H.I.E.L.D. folder.

It sat on her lap staring up at her. She hesitated opening it, afraid of what her entire life might look like when it was written down in an official file. This time, though, she forced herself to read it anyways:

Document Citizenship: United States
Name: Alexis R. Markos
Alias/Nicknames: Alex
Date of Birth: March 19, 1992
Sex: Female
Title: Avenger Recruit
Height: 5'7"
Weight: 150 lbs
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Identifiable Markings: Half-sleeve tattoo on right arm. Small birth mark on bottom left abdomen.
Parents: Deceased
Next of Kin: Sister. 23 years old.
Hometown: Gloucester, Massachusetts
Ethnicity: Greek
Qualifications for S.H.I.E.L.D recruitment: Mutant human. Ability to absorb, and sometimes remove, subject's memories, physical strength, and superpowers by physical touch.

Alexis shut the folder and stared out the window. She exhaled the sigh she had been holding in, feeling a little bit of the anxiety finally release. Time passed, and the terms used to describe her in her file faded, giving way now to the view beyond her window. "Immense" seemed the wrong word to describe what she saw, but the Avengers building was nothing short of a silver giant looming before her.

Tony was the first to greet her. He, above all others, was the Avenger Alex was the most familiar with, albeit from somewhat of a distance. She'd been acquainted with his name, his lineage, and what he'd done to try and rewrite that lineage. More importantly: she'd seen him on the news. Numerous times.

When Tony first contacted her, she felt suddenly exposed. The secret she kept hidden successfully for so long had been outed by someone...somewhere...and Nick Fury had caught wind. Not exactly the first person Alex wanted knowing about her gift. Tony had assured her that now, unlike all the years before, she no longer had to hide. She could put her gift to great use and become one of them.

As her limousine pulled up to the entrance of the behemoth building, Alex could see the obvious enjoyment in Tony's expression as he approached the curb. He opened the door for her as she stepped out, his handsome face brightening. "Well, well." His tone was as proud as the smirk he wore. "Alexis Markos. So glad to finally meet you."

"Tony." Alex extended a hand to shake his. "A long time coming, isn't it? And please, call me Alex."

As they shook hands, it was then that Tony realized she was wearing form-fitting leather gloves. He eyed her curiously. "Safety precaution, I'm guessing?"

"Didn't want to take any chances" she answered honestly. "Not with some of the powerhouses inside there." She eyed the building in emphasis.

Tony seemed impressed already. "Fair enough. First impressions are everything, aren't they?"

"Which is why I see you went with your normal attire." She said this jokingly, but there was truth to her words. It was hard to ignore the impeccable suit that adorned Tony's body, as well as the fact that he'd obviously prepped himself ahead of time for their meeting. "Lookin' good as always, Stark."

"I know" His eyes narrowed on hers, his hands clasping in front of his very expensive belt. "So...You ready for this?"

"As ready as I can be."

"Well then, allow me to escort you to the rest of your life."

Tony lead the way, and Alex felt the heaviness of his words weighing on her for longer than they should have. They walked a little, the sound of Alex's heels the only sound between them.

"Were you able to gain anything from the files sent to you ahead of time?" Tony asked her. This time, only a hint of sarcasm was evident in his voice.

"I did. In fact, I read every file to the point of exhaustion."

He nearly stopped walking, staring at her in awe. "You actually read the files?" He paused, his disbelief growing. "Nobody reads the files."

"I always read the files" Alex said with a grin.

Tony snorted. "Sounds like you and Rogers are gonna get along juuuust fine." He gave another winning smile as they reached the entrance. Upon opening the door, he swept an arm out towards the doorway in a very characteristic, over-the-top fashion. "Allow me to welcome you to Avengers Headquarters."

Alex walked into the main foyer of the Avengers base for the first time and her breath was stolen from her almost immediately. The sheer immensity of the foyer gave only a preview of what else must lay beyond. Her eyes were drawn upwards, staring into the behemoth size of glass dome above. A pair of stairways wound upward, peeling off toward separate wings of the compound. Several uniformed bodies moved about. For them, this was just another day. For Alex, this truly was the beginning of the rest of her life.

Realizing she'd fallen behind, Alex quickly caught up to Tony, her eyes still roaming the room. Tony waved a hand over a digital panel that appeared near a doorway and authorized their entrance. Glancing over his shoulder, he snapped his fingers. "Hey. You-whoo."

Alex pulled her gaze back once more, catching a certain look of amusement in Tony's face.

"Don't worry" he told her, a light dancing in his large eyes, "you'll get the full tour and you can gawk all you want then. For now - try and follow me without running into anything."

A dry smile lit up Alex's expression, and she willingly followed behind as Tony lead her onward. She did her very best not to gawk, or to run into anything. Soon enough, they came to the conference room where most of the other Avengers awaited her. She could see them from the hallway, behind tall glass windows looking in on an oval table where they were gathered. To anyone else, they would appear as normal individuals. To Alex, they were one of her own kind; a kind she never thought she'd be a part of, having grown up with the talent - or curse, as she sometimes thought it - she had since birth. Maybe she really could put her talent to good use. If the individuals in the room could do it, perhaps she could as well.

As she and Tony walked into the room, all eyes present turned her direction. The first person Alex noticed in the room was Steve: there was no second-guessing the man who bore the title of Captain America. His large frame was unmistakable; the blue of his eyes as distinct as the blue of his uniform. He sat next to a slender red-head, whose scrutinous but kind eyes spotted her with a smile. She stood first, initiating the others to do the same.

Alex and Tony stood at the head of the table, where Tony opened an arm to the woman beside him. "Team, I'd like you to meet Alexis Markos. And Alex..." He paused, a proud smile lighting up his face. "I'd like you to meet the Avengers."

It was Steve who came forward first. He extended a hand, and for the first time, Alex witnessed the brightness in Captain America's smile.

"Steve Rogers" he said formally. "Pleasure to have you with us."

Alex found his handshake as assured as the rest of him. She was barely able to respond before the rest of those standing there came forward to meet her.

"Natasha Romanoff" said the redhead. Alex almost cursed herself for not remembering this was the Avenger called Black Widow. The woman leaned into her as they shook hands. "Thank God you're here...we're seriously lacking women around here." She leaned back, a large smile beaming, and gave Alex a wink.

One by one, she met the rest of the men and women who made up the core team of individuals she would be spending the rest of her life fighting with...or so she hoped. Each one of them were courteous, but it didn't escape Alex that each one of them looked upon her gloved hands with some question in their eyes.

She took note of one particular Avenger: the man who went by the name Bucky, a childhood nickname given to him from Steve Rogers. Alex recalled reading about their close friendship noted in the files, as well as the tragic events that followed them. Their friendship was obvious in the way they looked at one another, stood together, sat together. They moved as one unit, which Alex found quite interesting. It didn't escape her that both of them, though young in appearance, were technically the oldest in the entire building.

And it was the appearance of Bucky that caught her eye the most. He was a dichotomy of features: dark shoulder length hair offset by the brilliant blue of his eyes. The metal arm was alarmingly large for his frame, which was well-built and obviously strong, but the softness of his gaze and the quiet manner of his presence left Alex intrigued.

Not to mention she found him very, very attractive.

When Bucky stepped up to meet her, Alex felt her heart rate increase. Their hands met, but Bucky left the metal arm at his side.

"James Barnes" he said, his voice strangely soft and deep. He gave a small but humble smile, which did wonders in brightening his face. "You can call me Bucky."

"I will" Alex replied, matching him with her own smile. "And you can call me Alex."

He nodded, and their handshake ended. He said no more, but their gazes remained fixed on one another. Alex realized in that moment that if she lingered too long, she might get lost in those eyes.

Tony's voice was the interruption that broke their focus. He had stepped up now to the head of the table, ready to address the group as a whole.

"You might be wondering: Why the gloves?" He addressed them with a passing look, even as Alex took a standing position next to him. "Alex? Perhaps you'd like to do the honors of explaining your...gift?"

Gift. The word alone was enough to make Alex want to roll her eyes. She held back, but began a story she was no longer ashamed to tell.

All her life, she struggled with human touch. When she was young, her powers were involuntary. She couldn't help absorbing traits from the people closest to her. Family and friends around her soon learned something "weird" happened when they hugged her, and they didn't like it. So...people stopped hugging her. Affection dwindled. Intimate touch was especially difficult, especially in her teens, when she realized she could hurt someone as easily as she could love someone. And so, intimate relationships dwindled as well. She never had a boyfriend for more than a week, if she was lucky. She stopped dating altogether.

As a result of being untrained and unaccustomed to the power she held when she touched someone, Alex devoted the bulk of her teen years to constant personal practice in a desperate attempt to refine her abilities. She finally achieved a level of comfort in handling this so-called gift in her late then, after finally harnessing her power, she left Massachusetts and decided to use her newly-honed skills in the only way she could: helping others.

Enter, Nick Fury.
Enter, the Avengers.

This was the story Alexis told, in so many words, to the Avengers who sat listening. They stared at her with eyes full of understanding, as if some part of her story resonated with them. She figured many of them could at least relate to the loneliness she had. Maybe now, though, she wouldn't be lonely anymore.

As she finished the tale, silence hung in the room. Unsure of what she should say next, she looked away from the stares, and found her eyes settling once more on Bucky's.

Of all things, Bucky gave her a heartfelt smile. His eyes crinkled at the corners, and there was kindness in his gaze.

Alexis felt relief wash over her tense body.
Bucky understood her.

"So..." Tony began, standing up from chair. "Where do we go from here?"

Some of the Avengers shifted in their chairs, unsure if Tony's question was rhetorical. Steve turned his attention to the others around the table. No one answered.

"May I submit a literal answer?" Tony rocked on his feet slightly. "I say we go to the Practice Room." His dark eyes settled on Alex. "Whaddya say? Give it a test run and see what you can do?"

Alex gave a hesitant smile. "Might as well get it out of the way."

The "Practice Room" was a massive room the size of a football field, completely enclosed with no weak point anywhere in its construction. It was built to withstand a smash from the Hulk, the throw of Steve's shield, or even a blast from Tony's suit. Its sole purpose was for exactly what was about to happen: to take a new Avenger and test them and their unique talents in a room that wouldn't succumb to those talents. And so it would be with Alex.

Every accessory that belonged to the Avengers was set against the nearby wall. As they assembled themselves and their items of choice within the large arena-like room, Alex used that time to change into her black bodysuit. It was the only one she had; she'd made herself several years back when she first began her nomadic lifestyle of helping those in need. She needed something inconspicuous; something she could wear and remain hidden in shadows as she attempted to use her abilities out in the open. It wasn't much, but it felt like an old friend the moment she put it on.

She walked into the giant arena-like room, feeling more at ease than she had so far. She drew her hair up into a ponytail and away from her face, which was now greatly focused. She watched as her new group of comrades filed in to the huge arena-like room, standing shoulder to shoulder near their gear. As Alex took a standing position in front of them, her sight was soon blocked by the sturdy frame of Steve as he stood before her.

"You sure you're ready?" he asked her.

Alex gave him a steady smile. "Now or never."

Steve turned to the group, hands positioned on his hips. "Alright then. Who wants to go first?"

"With all due respect" Alex interrupted, "I think it would be best if we went first." She motioned between herself and Steve with a sheepish smile. "Been kinda looking forward to this, so..."

Steve's grin lit up his face. "Ladies choice." He gave a firm nod. "I'll follow your lead."

Alex inhaled and squared her shoulders. In her 27 years of having her gift, she'd never done what she was about to do: to use it to duplicate that of another Avenger. This was as much of an experiment for her as any of them. She held out her hands, palms outward, and stepped into Steve's personal space. With her eyes closed, she placed both palms on his chest near his heart: the source of his true gift. Within seconds, she felt the life force that made Steve Rogers Captain America flow through her hands into her body, filling her like a serum of her own. Her head jerked backward, her mouth open and gasping for air, as her body composition began to change; her physical form becoming stronger, her reflexes more agile, and her senses heightened to that of Steve's own level. A pale white light encircled her, shimmering with the intensity of the transfer.

For Steve, he felt a pull that neither hurt nor felt particularly comfortable. It was a strange sensation, as though a warmth was spreading out of his chest, but neither lessening his own abilities nor draining him. He closed his eyes, feeling through the sensation, feeling Alex's closeness to him more than ever now. A link was being made between them, though neither knew it yet.

Around them, the Avengers looked on in wonder as the transformation of Alex took place. It took a total of only 60 seconds before Alex felt herself pull away from Steve by force of the completed transfer. She opened her eyes, blinking as her eyesight adjusted. She could see clearer now; the colors and details about her sharper. She looked down at her arms and her hands: the same as before, but different in ways only she could sense. Balling her hands into fists, she felt a new strength in their grip.

And she craved the shield.

Steve was already on it. Unknowingly so, he sensed it before Alex even thought it. "Alex!" He tossed the shield and Alex raised her hand to catch it. She caught it as solidly as Steve would have.

In a single motion, Alex tossed the shield at the opposite wall, watching as the vibranium weapon skipped off each of the walls, finding its way back to Alex's hands. She caught it effortlessly, redirected it back to the other wall and caught it just the same. Her form was impeccable; it was as if Steve Rogers himself had given her lessons. She chanced a glance at Steve, and when their eyes met, they met with shared respect.

The corner of his mouth lifted into a smirk. "Not bad for a first timer."

Alex casually tightened one of the leather straps that secured her arm to the weapon. "I see why you like this thing" she answered. With a smart-aleck grin, she eyed him. "I suppose you want it back?"

The others in the room silently looked at Steve, awaiting his response.

What Alex didn't foresee in all of this was that instead of just absorbing the talents of each of the Avengers, she ended up being sharing a similar wavelength of thought and action with them. Alex's newfound reflexes caused her to move in sync with Steve: two bodies sharing a biological symmetry.

As a result, Steve anticipated Alex's first punch, just as Alex saw Steve's redirect coming back at her. They parried with one another, blocking punches and kicks and doing battle against one another physically. Each kick was met with a block, each punch or jab was caught by the other. Both of them were completely lost in the focus of their fighting: neither hurting nor taking it easy on the other. Their grunting and heavy breathing was the only mark of their sparring, each a perfect match for the other...until at last Steve tackled Alex to the ground in a body lock.

His blue eyes stared down at her, his face now covered in a sheen of sweat. His smile was beaming as brightly as ever. "I always want my shield back" he said through a heavy exhale.

Alex couldn't help but laugh. "Affirmative, Captain."

Steve extended an open hand to her, offering to help her up. Alex gladly took it, and with a quick lift, she was on her feet again. Calmly, she handed the shield back to him before turning to the others. "Who's next?" When she studied the others, all she saw were wide eyes.

Natasha was the next to step forward, trying to suppress a smirk. "Consider me intrigued." She folded her arms over her chest as she eyed Alex. "Let's see what you've got."

Steve backed away, falling in line beside Bucky and Tony. He watched in silence as Alex put her hands on Nat's shoulders and closed her eyes, beginning the process of transferring Nat's assassin skills into her body. It was more than he could believe to be true: the white light surrounding Alex, the force at which the talents of one moved into the body of the other. It was right up there with the strangeness that he and all the other enhanced humans next to him shared.

When the transfer was complete, Nat and Alex wasted no time at falling into combat with one another. They moved fluidly, becoming a complete mirror of one another. No matter what Natasha delivered to Alex, she was able to deliver right back. To those standing there who knew Nat's reputation as an assassin - the way that Alex matched her move for move was almost unbelievable.

And so it went with the others as they took their turns: Clint's bow and arrows were no match for Alex. Sam's flight suit was an effortless manner of flight. Wanda's magic was as if Alex had been born with it; something even Wanda couldn't claim. She faded back into the line of disbelieving Avengers, each as silent as the next. They all secretly wished that Thor wasn't currently in Asgard; they could only imagine what he would say if Alex tried to wield his beloved Mjolnir.

"So how does this work with me?" Tony asked, stepping forward. He glanced back at the other Avengers with a smirk that signaled brewing humor. "Do you just...I don't know...magically understand how the laws of physics work the second you touch me?"

Alex smirked. "It's not like that...not really. I have to focus on your-"

"-Talents, right. And trust me, there's plenty of them." Tony's snark was thick, accompanied only by his doubting eyes. "But I don't have a super power. I just happen to be extremely brilliant."

"Nat doesn't have a super power either." Alex's eyes moved towards the redhead approvingly. "She's just that good."

From the line, Nat gave an appreciative nod.

Tony exhaled, obviously frustrated. "Okay, but if I put on the suit, will a suit just magically appear on you?"

"I'd be able to build one, if I wanted to" Alex answered. "Granted, Tony: some of your powers are going to be more useful than others in certain situations. Most of the time, if we completed a transfer, I could help you and Bruce figure stuff out. You know, work with you to get answers on the tough stuff." She glanced between Tony and Bruce, who remained in line with the others looking quite skeptical. "Three talented brains, instead of two."

From the line, Sam snorted. "Only two, huh? And just what is that supposed to mean?"

Steve reached out and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "She didn't mean it like that."

Bucky stepped forward now, interrupting the chatter. "Alright then, what about me?" All eyes in the practice room turned his direction as he approached Alex. "You won't have a metal arm, so...would it be like Nat? Are you sure my, um..." Shyly, he cleared his throat. "...my fighting skills would transfer?"

Alex saw the apprehension in the steel blue of Bucky's eyes. Something in him was afraid of that transfer, and Alex understood why. Years may have passed, but the soldier before her was still getting back to his old self - the James Barnes self, not the Winter Soldier self - or so his folder had told her. There was so much there she still had to figure out.

She took a step towards him, a smile spreading over her face. "Only one way to find out, Barnes."

Before Bucky had a chance to argue, Alex had placed both hands on him and held tight, guessing he would try and back away from her at first. Sure enough, after decades of torture, Bucky jerked backward at Alex's initial touch. "It's okay." Her voice barely rose above a whisper. "I'll never hurt you."

Bucky nodded, albeit apprehensively. This time, when Alex pressed her hands against him, she made sure her touch was gentle.

The sensation Bucky felt in those first moments was unlike anything he'd felt in his entire life. A warmth spread forth from Alex's hands, one of which was on his metal arm, which was already sensitive to touch in ways his human flesh arm was not. The other was on his chest near his heart; aptly placed. As that warmth quickly overtook his entire body, it was if the hurt, regret, and pain from his past seemed to drain away and into her hands. Little by little, as the seconds ticked by, layers of hurt left him.

Alex's eyes remained shut tight, but she could see everything about Bucky's past flash before her mind's eye. With her hands still pressed to his body, emotions pummeled her, rocking her to the core. Pain from his fall. Pain from his mind being wiped. Pain from losing himself. Pain from losing Steve. Pain...it was all pain...a thousand forms of pain all hitting her at once in a storm of flashbacks that she could barely stand to watch.

For the onlookers, what was happening between the pair was much different than what had happened between Alex and the others. They stood anxiously, watching as both Bucky and Alex's expressions melded into one of uneasiness, their eyes shut and their mouths opens as their breathing became more ragged. Only when Alex's brow knitted together and she winced in pain did Steve feel the need to interject. He stepped forward hesitantly, only to have Tony reach stop him.

"Let them go" Tony whispered. "I want to see this."

"What if she's in pain?" Steve retaliated. "What if-"

"I said let them go." Tony's dark eyes hardened. "It's the only way we can truly know."

Reluctantly, Steve fell silent. He watched on in fear as Alex and Bucky's transfer took place. It didn't comfort him to see that their expressions became more painful than before the longer the process took place.

And then it all went to hell. There was a flash of light as if something exploded between Alex and Bucky. They both went flying off in opposite directions, landing on their backs at least a hundred feet from one another.

Bucky was the first to sit up, his dark hair fallen over his eyes. "Alex?" He shook his head, ridding himself of the strange fog that had blurred his sight. Someone rushed to his side, but his only concern was Alex.

"I'm here, Buck." Steve lent a helping hand, supporting his friend's back as he sat up. "You okay?"

"Alex..." Bucky blinked again, the fog disappearing now. When he finally saw her, the look on her face said it all: something happened between them that left her shocked to silent horror.

Tony and Nat had rushed to Alex's side, but she was too stunned to say anything to them. Her eyes were locked on Bucky; his face the only thing she could concentrate on. Everything she saw, everything she felt...his power, his past, his pain...

"What happened?" Natasha asked, kneeling next to Alex.

Alex could only stare at Bucky in silence. "I- I don't know..." But she did know. What happened had been something she never experienced before. It was something she never even knew was possible. Instead of Bucky's super strength, agility, and other manufactured talents he'd received from Hydra, Alex received his suppressed emotions instead. Pain had filled her body, the horrific memories and emotions overtaking her until it was too much to bear. The connection broke in an explosion, zapping Alex of energy and leaving her more depleted than ever before.

Across the floor, Bucky tried to stand, with the help of Steve at his side. "I'm sorry" he muttered. His eyes remained fixed on Alex. "I didn't mean to-"

"Okay, okay, I need answers" Tony interrupted, his fingers wiping anxiously at his goatee. "What the hell just happened? Because what I saw wasn't anything like the other transfers here."

Nat helped Alex to her feet now, holding on just in case Alex felt weaker than she appeared. "I said I don't know, Tony" Alex repeated shakily. She gave Nat a nod of thanks, then stood on her own. "I haven't experienced anything like that before."

"Alright, I think that's enough for one day" Steve interjected. His eyes were hard and his tone was full of authority. "She obviously needs some time, and questions can wait."

The group considered one another silently in agreement. Only Tony remained unconvinced. He looked between Natasha, Steve, Bucky, and finally Alex.

"I want answers" he repeated, an index finger pointed at Alex. "Tomorrow."

He turned and left the group behind, exiting the Practice Room without another word.